1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthodontic methods and devices that are used to change the position of a tooth within the mouth. More specifically, the present invention relates to orthodontic methods and devices that are used to move individual molars either backward or forward in the mouth.
2. Description of Related Art
Not every person is born with perfectly straight teeth and a perfect bite. As is well known, very few people are born with the blessing of perfect teeth. Those without perfect teeth must therefore either live out their lives with imperfect teeth or have the position of the teeth somehow artificially altered. The science of artificially altering the position of a person's teeth is most commonly studied in the field of orthodontics, wherein the various devices used to alter the position of the teeth are referred to as orthodontic devices.
One of the most common orthodontic devices used to alter the position of teeth involves the use of "braces" wherein brackets are attached to individual teeth and the brackets are interconnected by an arch wire. By periodically tightening the tension of the arch wire, a corrective force can be applied to misaligned teeth. Over time, the corrective force causes the teeth to change in position, thereby correcting the problem of misalignment.
A problem commonly encountered in the field of orthodontics is the problem of how to counter the corrective force being applied to a tooth by an orthodontic device. For example, if an orthodontic device was positioned between an aligned tooth and a misaligned tooth, the forces applied by the orthodontic device would be just as likely to move the aligned tooth as it would be to correct the misaligned tooth. The way this problem is typically corrected is to attach orthodontic devices between a few misaligned teeth and a multitude of properly aligned teeth. In this manner, it is much more likely that the few misaligned teeth will be influenced by the forces created by the orthodontic device, rather than the multitude of properly aligned teeth.
However, there is one instance where this general orthodontic anchoring principal does not work. In many instances, a person's molars may be positioned at an abnormally forward position in either the maxillary arch or the mandibular arch. The forward position of the molars do not leave room in the bite line for the premolars, canine teeth and incisors. Consequently, either some or all of the premolar, canine and incisor teeth may grow to be misaligned. Prior to correcting the position of a misaligned incisor, canine tooth or premolar, room must be made in the bite line for that tooth. To make the necessary room, the molars must either be removed or moved back to a point deeper in the mouth.
The molars are the largest of the teeth with the strongest root system. Accordingly, the molars are harder to move than are most other teeth. As a result, if a molar is biased against other teeth with an orthodontic device, there is a good chance that the other teeth may be adversely effected. Furthermore, since the molars are the rear most teeth in the mouth, there is nothing deeper in the mouth to which an orthodontic device can be anchored in order to move the molar further into the mouth. In the prior art, this problem is typically solved using a head harness system. In such a prior art system, a harness is placed around the head. An orthodontic device is attached to the molars and then to the harness. The entire head therefore acts as an anchoring point for the orthodontic device.
Head harnesses are very cumbersome and uncomfortable. Furthermore, they are not aesthetically pleasing. For these reasons, people typically only wear such harnesses at night in the privacy of their own homes.
A need therefore exists in the art for an orthodontic system that can be used to move the molars, wherein the anchor point for that orthodontic system is contained completely within the mouth. This need is met by the present invention device and method as described and claimed below.